| Game Name: | Sugar Bowl |
| Date Game Played: | January 1 |
| Year Game Played: | 1937 |
| Football Season: | 1936 |
| Home Name Short: | LSU |
| Home Nickname: | Tigers |
| Home Record: | 9–0–1 |
| Home 1Q: | 0 |
| Home 2Q: | 7 |
| Home 3Q: | 0 |
| Home 4Q: | 7 |
| Visitor Rank Ap: | 6 |
| Home Rank Ap: | 2 |
| Visitor Name Short: | Santa Clara |
| Visitor Nickname: | Broncos |
| Visitor Record: | 7–1 |
| Visitor Conference: | Independent |
| Visitor 1Q: | 14 |
| Visitor 2Q: | 0 |
| Visitor 3Q: | 7 |
| Visitor 4Q: | 0 |
| Type: | bg |
| Us Radio: | NBC--> |
| Attendance: | 38,483 |
| Referee: | Alvin Bell (SWC; split crew: SWC, Pacific Coast, SEC) |
| Odds: | LSU [1] |
The 1937 Sugar Bowl was the third edition of the Sugar Bowl and matched the LSU Tigers and the Santa Clara Broncos. It was played on Friday, January 1, 1937, at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans,
LSU had allowed only 33 points during the regular season while cruising to a second straight Southeastern Conference championship with an undefeated regular season, with a non-conference tie at Texas early in the season. Santa Clara was an independent, which cost them an invite to the Rose Bowl due to not being a Pacific Coast Conference member; Washington won the PCC.
The Broncos were 7–0 when the Sugar invitation was made, but then were shut out by Sammy Baugh and TCU on December 12 in San Francisco.[2] LSU was spurned by the Rose Bowl committee as well, paving the way for Santa Clara's first bowl game and LSU's second straight Sugar Bowl.[3]
In the final AP poll released in late November, LSU was second and Santa Clara was sixth.
Rain that had started the previous day continued throughout the game, which contributed to sixteen turnovers and 25 punts. LSU could not overcome a sloppy first quarter in which they had no first downs and allowed the Broncos to score twice. Manny Gomez caught a touchdown pass from Nello Falaschi and Norman Finley caught a touchdown pass from Bruno Pellegrini, both in a span of seven minutes. LSU narrowed the lead in the second quarter on Gus Tinsley's touchdown catch from Bill Crass, and Santa Clara led at halftime.
Falaschi scored on a touchdown run in the third quarter to give the Broncos a 21–7 lead. Rocky Reed caught a touchdown pass late in the game to close the margin to but the game was already sealed as neither team threatened again, affected by the wet weather. Notably, Shaw loaned shoes from nearby Loyola University to give his team an advantage on the wet field in the second half.[4]
LSU reached their third consecutive Sugar Bowl the following year, in a rematch with Santa Clara, and the Broncos won again in the rain.
| Statistics | Santa Clara | LSU |
|---|---|---|
| First Downs | 10 | 7 |
| Yards Rushing | 108 | 44 |
| Yards Passing | 74 | 125 |
| Total Yards | 182 | 169 |
| Punts-Average | 12–42.0 | 13–36.0 |
| Fumbles Lost | 4 | 6 |
| Interceptions | 4 | 2 |
| Penalty Yards | 42 | 0 |